Shelley Duvall, the intrepid, Texas-born movie star whose wide-eyed, winsome presence was a mainstay in the films of Robert Altman and who co-starred in has died. She was 75.
Duvall died Thursday in her sleep at home in Blanco, Texas, her longtime partner, Dan Gilroy, announced. The cause was complications from diabetes, said her friend, the publicist Gary Springer.
含羞草研究社淢y dear, sweet, wonderful life, partner, and friend left us last night,含羞草研究社� Gilroy said in a statement. 含羞草研究社淭oo much suffering lately, now she含羞草研究社檚 free. Fly away beautiful Shelley.含羞草研究社�
Duvall was attending junior college in Texas when Altman含羞草研究社檚 crew members, preparing to film 含羞草研究社淏rewster McCloud,含羞草研究社� encountered her at a Houston party in 1970. They introduced the 20-year-old to the director, who cast her in 含羞草研究社淏rewster McCloud含羞草研究社� and made her his protege.
Duvall would go on to appear in Altman films including 含羞草研究社淭hieves Like Us,含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社淣ashville,含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社淧opeye,含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社淭hree Women含羞草研究社� and 含羞草研究社淢cCabe & Mrs. Miller.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淗e offers me damn good roles,含羞草研究社� Duvall told The New York Times in 1977. 含羞草研究社淣one of them have been alike. He has a great confidence in me, and a trust and respect for me, and he doesn含羞草研究社檛 put any restrictions on me or intimidate me, and I love him. I remember the first advice he ever gave me: 含羞草研究社楧on含羞草研究社檛 take yourself seriously.含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫
Duvall, gaunt and gawky, was no conventional Hollywood starlet. But she had a beguilingly frank manner and exuded a singular naturalism. The film critic called her the 含羞草研究社渇emale Buster Keaton.含羞草研究社�
At her peak, Duvall was a regular star in some of the defining movies of the 1970s. In 含羞草研究社淭he Shining含羞草研究社� (1980), she played Wendy Torrance, who watches in horror as her husband, Jack goes crazy while their family is isolated in the It was Duvall含羞草研究社檚 screaming face that made up half of the film含羞草研究社檚 most iconic image, along with Jack含羞草研究社檚 axe coming through the door.
was notoriously hard on Duvall in making 含羞草研究社淭he Shining.含羞草研究社� His methods of pushing her through countless takes in the most anguished scenes took a toll on the actor. One scene was reportedly performed in 127 takes. The entire shoot took 13 months. Duvall, in a 1981 interview with People magazine, said she was crying 含羞草研究社�12 hours a day for weeks on end含羞草研究社� during the film含羞草研究社檚 production.
含羞草研究社淚 will never give that much again,含羞草研究社� said Duvall. 含羞草研究社淚f you want to get into pain and call it art, go ahead, but not with me.含羞草研究社�
Duvall disappeared from movies almost as quickly as she arrived in them. By the 1990s, she began retiring from acting and retreated from public life.
含羞草研究社淗ow would you feel if people were really nice, and then, suddenly, on a dime, they turn on you?含羞草研究社� Duvall told the Times earlier this year. 含羞草研究社淵ou would never believe it unless it happens to you. That含羞草研究社檚 why you get hurt, because you can含羞草研究社檛 really believe it含羞草研究社檚 true.含羞草研究社�
Duvall, the oldest of four, was born in Fort Worth, Texas, on July 7, 1949. Her father, Robert, was a cattle auctioneer before working in law and her mother, Bobbie, was a real estate agent.
Duvall married the artist Bernard Sampson in 1970. They divorced four years later. Duvall was in a long-term relationship with the in the late 含羞草研究社�70s after meeting during the making of 含羞草研究社淎nnie Hall.含羞草研究社� (Duvall played the rock critic who keeps declaring things 含羞草研究社渢ransplendent.含羞草研究社�) She also dated During the making of the 1990 Disney Channel movie 含羞草研究社淢other Goose Rock 含羞草研究社榥含羞草研究社� Roll,含羞草研究社� Duvall met the musician Dan Gilroy, of the group Breakfast Club, with whom she remained until her death.
Duvall含羞草研究社檚 run in the 1970s was remarkably versatile. In the rugged Western 含羞草研究社� (1971), she played the mail-order bride Ida. She was a groupie in 含羞草研究社淣ashville含羞草研究社� (1975) and Olive Oyl, opposite in 含羞草研究社淧opeye含羞草研究社� (1980). In 含羞草研究社�3 Women,含羞草研究社� co-starring and Janice Rule, Duvall played Millie Lammoreaux, a Palm Springs health spa worker, and won best actress at the
In the 1980s, Duvall produced and hosted a number of children含羞草研究社檚 TV series, among them 含羞草研究社淔aerie Tale Theatre,含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社淭all Tales & Legends含羞草研究社� and 含羞草研究社淪helley Duvall含羞草研究社檚 Bedtime Stories.含羞草研究社�
Duvall moved back to Texas in the mid-1990s. Around 2002, after making the comedy 含羞草研究社淢anna from Heaven,含羞草研究社� she retreated from Hollywood completely. Her whereabouts became a favorite topic of internet sleuths. A favorite but incorrect theory was that it was residual trauma from the grueling shoot for 含羞草研究社淭he Shining.含羞草研究社� Another was that the damage to her home after was the last straw.
To those living in where Duvall lived for some 30 years, she was neither in 含羞草研究社渉iding含羞草研究社� nor a recluse. But her circumstances were a mystery to both the media and many of her old Hollywood friends. That changed in 2016, when producers for tracked her down and aired a controversial hourlong interview with her in which she spoke about her mental health issues. 含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 very sick. I need help,含羞草研究社� Duvall said on the program, for being exploitative.
含羞草研究社淚 found out the kind of person he is the hard way,含羞草研究社� Duvall told The Hollywood Reporter in 2021.
THR journalist Seth Abramovitch wrote at the time that he went on a pilgrimage to find her because 含羞草研究社渋t didn含羞草研究社檛 feel right for McGraw含羞草研究社檚 insensitive sideshow to be the final word on her legacy.含羞草研究社�
Duvall attempted to restart her career, dipping her toe in with the indie horror 含羞草研究社淭he Forest Hills含羞草研究社� that filmed in 2022 and premiered quietly in early 2023.
含羞草研究社淎cting again 含羞草研究社� it含羞草研究社檚 so much fun,含羞草研究社� Duvall told People at the time. 含羞草研究社淚t enriches your life.含羞草研究社�
